Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for updating a content item

ABSTRACT

Methods, apparatuses and computer program products are provided for updating a content item. In this regard, a current context associated with a content item can be determined based on criteria such as, a user&#39;s tendencies, user preferences, battery level, time of day, etc. The current context of the content item can be active or inactive. If a content item is in an active current context and an associated triggering event occurs, the content item can be updated. If the content item is in an inactive current context, the content item need not be updated. Content items may be updated in various manners, including generating a preview of the content item. A preview of a content item may be generated by retrieving the content item via an interface, where the interface is determined from data associated with the content item. Upon retrieval of a content item via the interface, a preview of the content item can be generated, such as by generating an image file having associated metadata. The metadata maybe used for linking the preview to additional, related content items.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to retrievinginformation or content and, more particularly, relate to variousmethods, apparatuses and computer program products for updating contentitems associated with an electronic device.

BACKGROUND

The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansionof wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, televisionnetworks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedentedtechnological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobilenetworking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, whileproviding more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.

This explosive growth of mobile communications networks has followed theevolution of mobile devices, such as cellular phones, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), and other portable electronic devices from luxuryitems to ubiquitous devices integrated into the everyday lives ofindividuals from all walks of life. The widespread adoption of mobiledevices, and the expanding capabilities of the wireless networks overwhich they communicate, has allowed for a tremendous expansion in theapplications which mobile devices are capable of executing. In additionto providing for phone service, many mobile devices now executeapplications such as email retrieval, web browsing, web feed services,navigation services through the use of GPS, camera and video capturing,digital music and video playback. In some instances, users may beunaware applications are running processes in the background to provideservices to the user. These and other applications may also interfacewith networks to transmit and receive data for a user.

While this expansion in the applications of mobile devices has beenrevolutionary, the added applications do have drawbacks. For example,each additional application executed by a mobile can also havecorresponding power consumption. Additionally, users may not appreciatethe power consumption and processing consumption associated with theseapplications, since many applications may include processes running inthe background. As such, overall power consumption of mobile terminalsis becoming increasingly problematic for users because batteries aredraining at increasing rates. Further, while power utilization israpidly increasing on mobile terminals, the power storage capacity ofmobile devices, i.e., the power storage capacity of batteries, isremaining constant or increasing at a relatively slower pace.Applications that make continuous attempts to retrieve data such asemail, web feeds, or other web content can cause substantial reductionsin battery levels when considered in the aggregate. The increased andvariable power consumption associated with these applications canpresent problems to users in that batteries can drain at increasinglyrapid rates.

Additionally, the increasing number of applications being utilized bymobile terminals is also impacting network resources. For example, anemail client may download email to a mobile terminal at some regularinterval consuming network during each download. Further, otherapplications, such as web feeds and various widgets, may also bedownloading and/or uploading data across the network consumingresources. Each of these applications also consumes a correspondingportion of the network's resources. In the aggregate, these applicationscan have significant impacts. As a result latency and quality of servicecan be detrimentally affected.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide methods, apparatuses,and computer program products that limit power consumption and impact tothe network, but also provide for the needs and wants of users. Inparticular, in would be advantageous to provide applications forelectronic devices that are power and network resource conscious, butcontinue to provide a user with a level of service that is acceptable tothe user.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various methods, apparatuses and computer program products are thereforeprovided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention to atleast partially address the foregoing issues by providing acceptableservice while limiting power consumption. In various embodiment, amethod, apparatus and computer program product are provided to update acontent item by determining the current context of a content item wherethe current context of the content item can be based on one or morecriteria. In this regard, the current context of a content item may beactive or inactive. According to various embodiments, the currentcontext associated with a content item may be determined based upon acurrent battery level. The exemplary method, apparatus, or computerprogram product of one embodiment may also identifies the occurrence ofa triggering event associated with the content item and updates thecontent item in response to a triggering event if the current context ofthe content item is active. A content item with an active currentcontext may be updated, but a content item with an inactive currentcontext may not be updated.

In some embodiments, the triggering event may be the exhaustion of atimer associated with the content item. In this regard, the timer mayinclude a duration where the duration of the timer can be based on oneor more criteria. The triggering event may also occur when a currentcontext of a content item is changed to active. Additionally, accordingto various embodiments, updating the content item can include retrievingthe content item and generating a conditioned form of the content item.In some embodiments, the conditioned form of the content item can be apreview.

Further, various methods, apparatuses and computer program products areprovided for generating a preview by: determining an interface from dataassociated with a content item; retrieving the content item via theinterface; and generating a preview of the content item with the previewpotentially including associated metadata. In some embodiments, thepreview can be an image file rendered from the content item. Further,according to various embodiments, the determined interface can be awidget, any kind of feed, application, various other plug-ins, or thelike.

Additionally, in some embodiments, a request to update a content itemcan be received where the request can be generated based on the currentcontext of the content item and a triggering event. Further, someembodiments may include providing for an output of the preview andproviding for interaction with the preview via metadata. The interactionwith the preview may include linking to a related content item via themetadata; retrieving the related content item; and generating a previewof the related content item. Some embodiments may also include storingthe preview in a preview database and retrieving the preview from thepreview database.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms,reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile terminal according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communications systemaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of updating a content item accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a preview module according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of generating and utilizing a previewaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an alarm clock event according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a preview according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a preview according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some,but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, theinvention may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicablelegal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile terminal 10 that wouldbenefit from embodiments of the present invention. It should beunderstood, however, that a mobile telephone as illustrated andhereinafter described is merely illustrative of one type of mobileterminal that would benefit from embodiments of the present inventionand, therefore, should not be taken to limit the scope of embodiments ofthe present invention. While one embodiment of the mobile terminal 10 isillustrated and will be hereinafter described for purposes of example,other types of mobile terminals, such as portable digital assistants(PDAs), pagers, mobile computers, mobile televisions, gaming devices,laptop computers, cameras, video recorders, GPS devices and other typesof voice and text communications systems, can readily employ embodimentsof the present invention. Furthermore, devices that are not mobile mayalso readily employ embodiments of the present invention.

The system and method of embodiments of the present invention will beprimarily described below in conjunction with mobile communicationsapplications. However, it should be understood that the system andmethod of embodiments of the present invention can be utilized inconjunction with a variety of other applications, both in the mobilecommunications industries and outside of the mobile communicationsindustries.

The mobile terminal 10 includes an antenna 12 (or multiple antennae) inoperable communication with a transmitter 14 and a receiver 16. Themobile terminal 10 further includes an apparatus, such as a controller20 or other processing element that provides signals to and receivessignals from the transmitter 14 and receiver 16, respectively. Thesignals include signaling information in accordance with the airinterface standard of the applicable cellular system, and also userspeech, received data and/or user generated data. In this regard, themobile terminal 10 is capable of operating with one or more airinterface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, andaccess types. By way of illustration, the mobile terminal 10 is capableof operating in accordance with any of a number of first, second, thirdand/or fourth-generation communication protocols or the like. Forexample, the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of operating inaccordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocolsIS-136 (time division multiple access (TDMA)), GSM (global system formobile communication), and IS-95 (code division multiple access (CDMA)),or with third-generation (3G) wireless communication protocols, such asUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, widebandCDMA (WCDMA) and time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), withfourth-generation (4G) wireless communication protocols or the like.

It is understood that the apparatus such as the controller 20 includesmeans, such as circuitry, desirable for implementing audio and logicfunctions of the mobile terminal 10. For example, the controller 20 maybe comprised of a digital signal processor device, a microprocessordevice, and various analog to digital converters, digital to analogconverters, and other support circuits. Control and signal processingfunctions of the mobile terminal 10 are allocated between these devicesaccording to their respective capabilities. The controller 20 thus mayalso include the functionality to convolutionally encode and interleavemessage and data prior to modulation and transmission. The controller 20can additionally include an internal voice coder, and may include aninternal data modem. Further, the controller 20 may includefunctionality to operate one or more software programs, which may bestored in memory. For example, the controller 20 may be capable ofoperating a connectivity program, such as a conventional Web browser.The connectivity program may then allow the mobile terminal 10 totransmit and receive Web content, such as location-based content and/orother web page content, according to a Wireless Application Protocol(WAP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and/or the like, for example.

The mobile terminal 10 may also comprise a user interface including anoutput device such as a conventional earphone or speaker 24, amicrophone 26, a display 28, and a user input interface, all of whichare coupled to the controller 20. The user input interface, which allowsthe mobile terminal 10 to receive data, may include any of a number ofdevices allowing the mobile terminal 10 to receive data, such as akeypad 30, a touch display (not shown) or other input device. Inembodiments including the keypad 30, the keypad 30 may include theconventional numeric (0-9) and related keys (#, *), and other hardand/or soft keys used for operating the mobile terminal 10.Alternatively, the keypad 30 may include a conventional QWERTY keypadarrangement. The keypad 30 may also include various soft keys withassociated functions. In addition, or alternatively, the mobile terminal10 may include an interface device such as a joystick or other userinput interface.

The mobile terminal 10 further includes a battery 34, such as avibrating battery pack, for powering various circuits that are requiredto operate the mobile terminal 10, as well as optionally providingmechanical vibration as a detectable output. Mobile terminal 10 can alsobe powered by supplemental power source 44. Supplemental power source 44can be any power source that is not the primary power source of mobileterminal 10. Further, supplemental power source 44 can take variousforms including, but not limited to a power adapter electricallyconnected to a wall outlet or other electrical outlet in, for example, avehicle or airplane. Supplemental power source 44 may provide powerdirectly to mobile terminal 10. Supplemental power source 44 may alsoindirectly provide power to mobile terminal 10 by charging battery 34,while battery 34 provides power directly to mobile terminal 10. As such,in some embodiments, even though mobile terminal 10 may be connected tosupplemental power source 44, mobile terminal 10 may not operate untilbattery 34 has received a sufficient charge from supplemental powersource 44. Further, supplemental power source 44 can be removable frommobile terminal 10 to permit unfettered mobility of mobile terminal 10.When supplemental power source 44 is removed, or disconnected, eitherphysically or electrically, battery 34 can be the sole power source ofmobile terminal 10.

Controller 20 of mobile terminal 10 can include functionality and/orcircuitry to detect a battery level of battery 34. The battery level canbe any indication of the remaining charge or consumption time remainingwith respect to battery 34. Controller 20 can use the battery level whenconsidering whether to perform various operations. Controller 20 canalso detect whether mobile terminal 10 is connected to a supplementalpower source 44. Controller 20 may detect the connection of asupplemental power source directly via, for example, an input tocontroller 20, or controller 20 may detect the connection ofsupplemental power source 44 by detecting increasing or maximizedbattery level reading associated with battery 34.

The mobile terminal 10 may also include a content updater 36. Contentupdater 36 may be any means, device or circuitry embodied in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software that is capable ofupdating a content item on the mobile terminal 10. Content updater 36may update a content item to volatile memory 40 or non-volatile memory42. A content item can be any type of information or data that has beenselected by a user to be kept in an updated state on the mobileterminal. Content items can include, but are not limited to, web pages,web feeds, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, podcasts, podcastfeeds, email, voicemail, Short Message Service (SMS) messages, instantmessages, music, videos, material retrieved via plug-ins, materialretrieved via widgets (i.e., applications for retrieving an displayingonly particular data associated with the widget), or material retrievedvia any application utilizing a network connection to access thematerial. A content item may include information from more than a singlelocation, such as a single web page. In this regard, a content item mayinclude data from multiple locations, such as web pages on a commonwebsite and web pages related via links such as hyperlinks. Contentitems can also include associated data that can be used to determine aninterface or application that can be used to retrieve the content item.

In various embodiments, content updater 36 can be a software applicationthat is stored in memory and executed by controller 20 of mobileterminal 10, and as such may be embodied by controller 20 of mobileterminal 10. Content updater 36 can update a content item in response tothe current context associated with the content item, i.e., an active orinactive context, and a triggering event. If the current context andtriggering event can satisfy various criteria, as described below,mobile terminal 10 can use a connected network, such as the network ofFIG. 2, to retrieve and update the content item. The content item can beupdated on the mobile device to facilitate fast and power consciousretrieval of the content item or a conditioned version of the contentitem from memory that can be local to the mobile terminal.

The mobile terminal 10 may further include a positioning sensor 37 suchas, for example, a global positioning system (GPS) module incommunication with the controller 20. The positioning sensor 37 may beany means, device or circuitry for locating the position of mobileterminal 10. The positioning sensor 37 may include all hardware forlocating the position of a mobile terminal 10. Alternatively oradditionally, the positioning sensor 37 may utilize a memory device ofthe mobile terminal 10 to store instructions for execution by thecontroller 20 in the form of software necessary to determine theposition of the mobile terminal 10. Although the positioning sensor 37of this example may be a GPS module, the positioning sensor 37 mayinclude or otherwise alternatively be embodied as, for example, anassisted global positioning system (Assisted-GPS) sensor, or apositioning client, which may be in communication with a network deviceto receive and/or transmit information, such as a sky or floor sensor,for use in determining a position of the mobile terminal 10. In thisregard, the position of the mobile terminal 10 may be determined by GPS,as described above, cell ID, signal triangulation, or other mechanismsas well. In one exemplary embodiment, the positioning sensor 37 caninclude a pedometer or inertial sensor. Positioning sensor 37 may alsoinclude an accelerometer that can be used to determine if mobileterminal 10 is moving or shaking.

As such, the positioning sensor 37 may be capable of determining alocation of the mobile terminal 10, such as, for example, longitudinaland latitudinal directions, and altitude direction of the mobileterminal 10, or a position relative to a reference point such as adestination or start point. Information from the positioning sensor 37may then be communicated to a memory of the mobile terminal 10 or toanother memory device to be stored as a position history or locationinformation. Additionally, the positioning sensor 37 may be capable ofutilizing the controller 20 to transmit/receive, via the transmitter14/receiver 16, location information such as the position of the mobileterminal 10.

The mobile terminal 10 may further include a user identity module (UIM)38. The UIM 38 is typically a memory device having a processor built in.The UIM 38 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM),a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriberidentity module (USIM), a removable user identity module (R-UIM), etc.The UIM 38 typically stores information elements related to a mobilesubscriber. In addition to the UIM 38, the mobile terminal 10 may beequipped with memory. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may includevolatile memory 40, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM)including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. The mobileterminal 10 may also include other non-volatile memory 42, which can beembedded and/or may be removable. The non-volatile memory 42 canadditionally or alternatively comprise an electrically erasableprogrammable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or the like, suchas that available from the SanDisk Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif., orLexar Media Inc. of Fremont, Calif. The memories can store any of anumber of pieces of information, and data, used by the mobile terminal10 to implement the functions of the mobile terminal 10. For example,the memories can include an identifier, such as an international mobileequipment identification (IMEI) code, capable of uniquely identifyingthe mobile terminal 10.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communications systemaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referringnow to FIG. 2, an illustration of one type of system that would benefitfrom embodiments of the present invention is provided. The systemincludes a plurality of network devices. As shown, one or more mobileterminals 10 may each include an antenna 12 for transmitting signals toand for receiving signals from a base site or base station (BS) 44. Thebase station 44 may be a part of one or more cellular or mobile networkseach of which includes elements required to operate the network, such asa mobile switching center (MSC) 46. As well known to those skilled inthe art, the mobile network may also be referred to as a BaseStation/MSC/Interworking function (BMI). In operation, the MSC 46 iscapable of routing calls to and from the mobile terminal 10 when themobile terminal 10 is making and receiving calls. The MSC 46 can alsoprovide a connection to landline trunks when the mobile terminal 10 isinvolved in a call. In addition, the MSC 46 can be capable ofcontrolling the forwarding of messages to and from the mobile terminal10, and can also control the forwarding of messages for the mobileterminal 10 to and from a messaging center. It should be noted thatalthough the MSC 46 is shown in the system of FIG. 2, the MSC 46 ismerely an exemplary network device and embodiments of the presentinvention are not limited to use in a network employing an MSC.

The MSC 46 can be coupled to a data network, such as a local areanetwork (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), and/or a wide areanetwork (WAN). The MSC 46 can be directly coupled to the data network.In one typical embodiment, however, the MSC 46 is coupled to a gatewaydevice (GTW) 48, and the GTW 48 is coupled to a WAN, such as theInternet 50. In turn, devices such as processing elements (e.g.,personal computers, server computers or the like) can be coupled to themobile terminal 10 via the Internet 50. For example, as explained below,the processing elements can include one or more processing elementsassociated with a computing system 52 and/or the like as describedbelow.

The BS 44 can also be coupled to a signaling GPRS (General Packet RadioService) support node (SGSN) 56. As known to those skilled in the art,the SGSN 56 is typically capable of performing functions similar to theMSC 46 for packet switched services. The SGSN 56, like the MSC 46, canbe coupled to a data network, such as the Internet 50. The SGSN 56 canbe directly coupled to the data network. In a more typical embodiment,however, the SGSN 56 is coupled to a packet-switched core network, suchas a GPRS core network 58. The packet-switched core network is thencoupled to another GTW 48, such as a GTW GPRS support node (GGSN) 60,and the GGSN 60 is coupled to the Internet 50. In addition to the GGSN60, the packet-switched core network can also be coupled to a GTW 48.Also, the GGSN 60 can be coupled to a messaging center. In this regard,the GGSN 60 and the SGSN 56, like the MSC 46, may be capable ofcontrolling the forwarding of messages, such as MMS messages. The GGSN60 and SGSN 56 may also be capable of controlling the forwarding ofmessages for the mobile terminal 10 to and from the messaging center.

In addition, by coupling the SGSN 56 to the GPRS core network 58 and theGGSN 60, devices such as a computing system 52 may be coupled to themobile terminal 10 via the Internet 50, SGSN 56 and GGSN 60. In thisregard, devices such as the computing system 52 may communicate with themobile terminal 10 across the SGSN 56, GPRS core network 58 and the GGSN60. By directly or indirectly connecting mobile terminals 10 and theother devices (e.g., computing system 52, federated search service 53,etc.) to the Internet 50, the mobile terminals 10 may communicate withthe other devices and with one another, such as according to theHypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and/or the like, to thereby carry outvarious functions of the mobile terminals 10.

Although not every element of every possible mobile network is shown anddescribed herein, it should be appreciated that the mobile terminal 10may be coupled to one or more of any of a number of different networksthrough the BS 44. In this regard, the network(s) may be capable ofsupporting communication in accordance with any one or more of a numberof first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, third-generation(3G), 3.9G, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication protocols or thelike. For example, one or more of the network(s) can be capable ofsupporting communication in accordance with 2G wireless communicationprotocols IS-136 (TDMA), GSM, and IS-95 (CDMA). Also, for example, oneor more of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication inaccordance with 2.5G wireless communication protocols GPRS, EnhancedData GSM Environment (EDGE), or the like. Further, for example, one ormore of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication inaccordance with 3G wireless communication protocols such as a UMTSnetwork employing WCDMA radio access technology. Some narrow-band analogmobile phone service (NAMPS), as well as total access communicationsystem (TACS), network(s) may also benefit from embodiments of thepresent invention, as should dual or higher mode mobile stations (e.g.,digital/analog or TDMA/CDMA/analog phones).

The mobile terminal 10 can further be coupled to one or more wirelessaccess points (APs) 62. The APs 62 may comprise access points configuredto communicate with the mobile terminal 10 in accordance with techniquessuch as, for example, radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth (BT), infrared(IrDA) or any of a number of different wireless networking techniques,including wireless LAN (WLAN) techniques such as IEEE 802.11 (e.g.,802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, etc.) also known as Wi-Fi, worldinteroperability for microwave access (WiMAX) techniques such as IEEE802.16, and/or ultra wideband (UWB) techniques such as IEEE 802.15and/or the like. The APs 62 may be coupled to the Internet 50. Like withthe MSC 46, the APs 62 can be directly coupled to the Internet 50. Inone embodiment, however, the APs 62 are indirectly coupled to theInternet 50 via a GTW 48. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the BS 44 maybe considered as another AP 62. As will be appreciated, by directly orindirectly connecting the mobile terminals 10 and the computing system52, and/or any of a number of other devices, to the Internet 50, themobile terminals 10 can communicate with one another, the computingsystem, etc., to thereby carry out various functions of the mobileterminals 10, such as to transmit data, content or the like to, and/orreceive content, data or the like from, the computing system 52. As usedherein, the terms “data,” “content,” “information” and similar terms maybe used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted,received and/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention. Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit thespirit and scope of embodiments of the present invention.

As will be appreciated, by directly or indirectly connecting the mobileterminals 10 and the computing system 52 and/or any of a number of otherdevices, to the Internet 50, the mobile terminals 10 can communicatewith one another, or the computing system 52, to thereby carry outvarious functions of the mobile terminals 10, such as to transmit data,content or the like to, and/or receive content, data or the like from,the computing system 52.

Although not shown in FIG. 2, in addition to or in lieu of coupling themobile terminal 10 to computing systems 52 and/or federated searchservice 53 across the Internet 50, the mobile terminal 10 and computingsystem 52 and/or the federated search service 53 may be coupled to oneanother and communicate in accordance with, for example, RF, BT, IrDA orany of a number of different wireline or wireless communicationtechniques, including LAN, WLAN, WiMAX, UWB techniques and/or the like.One or more of the computing system 52 and federated search service 53can additionally, or alternatively, include a removable memory capableof storing content, which can thereafter be transferred to the mobileterminal 10. Further, the mobile terminal 10 can be coupled to one ormore electronic devices, such as printers, digital projectors and/orother multimedia capturing, producing and/or storing devices (e.g.,other terminals). Like with the computing system 52 and federated searchservice 53, the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to communicate withthe portable electronic devices in accordance with techniques such as,for example, RF, BT, IrDA or any of a number of different wireline orwireless communication techniques, including universal serial bus (USB),LAN, WLAN, WiMAX, UWB techniques and/or the like.

FIG. 3 depicts a method of updating a content item according to variousembodiments of the invention. The method can include determining thecurrent context of a content item at 300, identifying an occurrence of atriggering event 310, and updating the content item in response to thetriggering event if the content item has a predefined current context.

At 300, the current context of a content item can be determined by, forexample, content updater 36, controller 20 of mobile terminal 10 orother means. The current context can be determined with respect to acontent item, and the current context can be set to a predefined currentcontext. According to various embodiments, a current context can be setto active or inactive. In some embodiments, a current context may alsobe set to additional or different states, such as, for example, acurrent context can be set to sleep, vacation, home, etc. In embodimentswhere an active current context is defined, situations may result wheresome content items are set to an active current context, while othersare not. According to various embodiments of the present invention, whenthe current context of a content item is active, the content item may beupdated, and when the current context of a content item is inactive, thecontent item may not updated.

In determining whether the current context is active or inactive,various criteria can be considered. Any number of criteria may beconsidered in determining the current context of a content item, forexample, a heuristic approach may be employed that evaluates numerouscriteria, or, in some embodiments, a single criterion may unilaterallydetermine the current context. Criteria that may be considered, caninclude, but should not be limited to, past user tendencies, userpreferences, battery level, location, available networks, time of day,scheduled events, such as calendar or alarm clock events, current userinteractions with the mobile terminal and a current profile of a mobileterminal. With regard to the various criteria, in some embodiments, thecurrent context may be dependant upon the context of a device that mayoutput the content. As such, criteria may be considered that targetcontext of the device. For example, the context of a mobile terminal 10having a low battery may be considered in determining the context of acontent item.

Based on the criteria, a current context may be determined by evaluatingthe criteria in accordance with predefined rules or in accordance with apredefined algorithm. In this regard, the current context of all or atleast a plurality of content items can be determined in accordance witha common set of rules or algorithms, or separate rules or algorithms maybe utilized to determine the current context of each different contentitem. Through the use of these various rules or algorithms, the currentcontext can be determined so as to reduce the impact of updating contentitems on resources so as to conserve power and processing capability,while limiting the impact of non-continuous content updates on the user,that is, by ensuring that the content that is likely to be of interestto the user is up to date even if other content, i.e., inactive content,is not.

In determining the current context, past user tendencies may beconsidered. With respect to past user tendencies, content updater 36 canlog or otherwise track when and how a user interacts with a particularcontent item. Use patterns can be developed based on the user's actions.A use pattern can be stored and used predict future behavior of theuser. Use patterns can be derived in any way and can be based on anyinformation or events that are available to the mobile terminal. Forexample, if after a telephone call from her stock broker, a user alwayschecks a financial web page, the current context with respect to thefinancial web page can be set to active when the user receives a callfrom the stock broker, but may otherwise be set to inactive.

User preferences may be considered in determining a current context. Auser preference may be a setting provided by a user during a setupprocedure. A user preference may be input by a user to set situations,criteria, thresholds or the like where the user would prefer that acontent item be set to an active state. For example, rather than allowthe mobile to determine a user tendency to set a financial web page toactive when the broker calls, a user can input a preference that thefinancial web page be set to an active current context when the stockbroker calls.

Current contexts can also be determined based upon the battery level ofa battery, such as battery 34, of a mobile terminal. In someembodiments, if the battery level is determined to be lower than apredefined threshold then one or more content items (e.g., lowerpriority content items or content items that would require significantpower and/or processing resources to update) may be set to an inactivecurrent context. Conversely, if the battery level is determined to behigher than a predefined threshold then one or more content items may beset to an active current context. Similarly, if it is determined that asupplemental power source is connected to a battery or the mobileterminal, one or more content items can be set to have an active currentcontext.

The location of a mobile terminal can also be used to determine acurrent context. The location of a mobile terminal, such as mobileterminal 10, can be determined via a positioning sensor, such aspositioning sensor 37. The current context with respect to variouscontent items can be set to an active or inactive in consideration ofwhere the mobile terminal, and by association where the mobileterminal's user are located. For instance, one or more content items maybe set to an inactive current context when a user is a work, since theuser may have access to a computer in order to retrieve desired contentitems. Location may also be considered in that the time zone in whichthe mobile terminal is located may impact the setting of currentcontexts. Further, a current context may be set based on a rate of speedthat is associated with a mobile terminal. For example, if the positionsensor indicates that a mobile terminal is moving in excess of athreshold speed, e.g., 35 miles per hour, one or more content items maybe set to an inactive current context, since a user may not need updatedcontent while driving a car. Additionally, the position sensor mayindicate that the individual is walking or running, via an accelerometeror the like, and a current context associated with one or more contentitems can be set to active or inactive using this information as well.Current contexts of content items may also be set to active or inactivewhen the mobile terminal is stationary for a threshold period of time.

The availability of particular networks, or network types may beconsidered in determining a current context. If a network having aparticular communications rate or power consumption rate is detected,the current context of one or more content items can be set to active orinactive. In this regard, a threshold can be set with respect tocommunications rate or power consumption, and based on a network'scharacteristics with respect to the threshold a current context may beset to active or inactive. For example, if a Wi-Fi network is currentlyavailable then a current context for one or more content item may be setto active. Further, based on location information derived from apositioning sensor, it may be determined that the mobile terminal maysoon move into a desirable or undesirable network area, and currentcontexts for content items can be set accordingly. Additionally, otherattributes of a network may be considered, such as whether a network isa home network or whether a network is a foreign network, and if thenetwork is a foreign network, whether additional charges may beassociated with interacting with the foreign network.

Further, wireless or wired connectivity controlled by the mobileterminal may be considered in determining a current context. In thisregard, the status of various transmitters and receivers on a mobileterminal may affect, or be considered in determining, a current context.For example, if a power conservation application, or other application,chooses to deactivate the wireless LAN radio, but leave the cellularradio active, these characteristics of the mobile terminal may beconsidered in determining a current context of a content item.

The time of day may also be considered when determining currentcontexts. For example, at 2:00 am in the morning it may be likely that auser is sleeping and as such it may be unnecessary to expend resources,such as power and processing, to update content at that time.Accordingly, one or more current contexts for various content items maybe set to active or inactive based on the current time.

Scheduled events can also be considered in determining a currentcontext. Scheduled events can include events stored in a calendarprogram, or an alarm clock event. Calendar events, such as, for example,a vacation event or a meeting event stored in a calendar program can beused to determine if a current context for one or more content itemsshould be set to active or inactive. Additionally, an alarm clock event,where an alarm clock program is set to alarm at a particular time, canbe considered when setting a current context. An exemplary alarm clockevent 600 on a display of a mobile terminal is depicted in FIG. 6. Withrespect, to scheduled events, a current context may be activated ordeactivated in advance of the scheduled event, and the length of timeprior to the scheduled event may be set to define when the currentcontext may change. Alternatively, a current context change may beanticipated based on the scheduled event. In anticipation of thescheduled event a context change can be effectuated at some time priorthe scheduled event. For example, if an alarm clock feature is set toalarm at 7:00 am, the current context of one or more content items maybe set to active at 6:55 am, i.e. the length of time prior to the alarmis set to 5 minutes, and current contexts associated with variouscontent items may be updated at 6:55 am. Further, the length of timeprior to the scheduled event may be selected such that sufficient timemay be available to update content items having current contexts thatmay be affected by the scheduled event, but still relatively close tothe occurrence of the event to in order for the content items to berelatively current.

Current user interactions with the mobile terminal may also beconsidered when determining a current context. For example, if a user isdepressing keys on a keypad, such as keypad 30, or otherwise interactingwith the mobile terminal, the actions of the user can be considered indetermining a current context. In this regard, for example, the factthat a user is depressing keys, may be indicative that the user may alsosoon check a content item, and as such one or more content items may beset to an active current context. Additionally, if a user has notinteracted with a mobile terminal for some threshold duration of time,the current context may be set with regard to this duration.

The current profile of a mobile device may also be considered indetermining a current context of a content item. A current profile of amobile terminal can be a setting or mode that the mobile terminal isplaced into when the user is in various environments or situations.Current profiles can include, for example, silent, loud, vibrate,meeting, sleep, home, etc. In this regard, a current context may bemodified when a user places the mobile terminal into a particularprofile. In some embodiments, a user may schedule a profile change. Forexample, a user may schedule a mobile terminal to change profiles from“silent” to “normal” at 6:30 a.m. In this regard, the current context ofa content item may be considered with respect to the scheduled profilechange and/or the current profile of the mobile device.

As indicated above, the criteria described herein are merely exemplarycriteria that may be considered when determining current contexts.Various additional or different criteria may be used to determinecurrent contexts or other types of rules or algorithms can be employedto determine current contexts.

At 310, an occurrence of a triggering event can be identified. Atriggering event can be identified by content updater 36, controller 20of mobile terminal 10 or other means. A triggering event can be an eventthat can cause content updater 36 to check the current context of acontent item to determine if an update to the content item should beinitiated. A triggering event can be, for example, a timer that elapsesat regular time intervals, for example, every 15 minutes. In thisregard, when the timer elapses, content updater 36 can check the currentcontext of content items to determine if the content items should beupdated. Further, the duration of the timer may be dynamic with respectto various criteria, such as, battery level, connection to asupplemental power source, available networks, duration since the userlast interacted with the mobile terminal, anyone or more of the variouscriteria described above, etc. For example, if it has been determinedthat a mobile terminal is connected to a supplemental power source, thetimer intervals may be shortened to a lesser duration, such as, 7minutes, since the mobile terminal does not need to rely solely on abattery for power. Further, different timers may be associated withdifferent content items. For example, a content item that is an emailaccount may be on a 15 minute timer, while a content item that is an RSSfeed may be on a 1 hour timer.

A change in a current context from inactive to active may also be atriggering event for one or more content items. As such, changes in acurrent context of one or more content items from inactive to active maybe defined as and separated into triggering and non-triggering events. Atriggering change of a current context from inactive to active can causean immediate initiation of an update of the content item since thecontent item's current context has been set to active and a triggeringevent (i.e., the change in context) has occurred. On the other hand, anon-triggering change of a current context to active can require theidentification of a different triggering event prior to initiating anupdate of a content item. In this regard, a timer elapsing or anothertriggering event must occur prior to initiating a content item updatesince the change in context alone is insufficient.

At 320, the content item can be updated. A content item may be updatedin response to a triggering event if the content item has a predefinedcurrent context. The operation at 320 can be performed by contentupdater 36, controller 20 or other means. In this regard, when atriggering event occurs, the current context of one or more contentitems can be ascertained. If a content item that is subject to thetriggering event has an active current context, then an update of thecontent item can be initiated. In some embodiments, a request to performan update with respect to a content item can be generated andtransferred to various entities to perform the update, such as, forexample, a preview module as described below. Further, if a content itemthat is subject to the triggering event is in an inactive currentcontext, then no update with respect to that content item need beundertaken. If a content item has been updated, an indication that theupdate has occurred can be provided, such as a modified icon, or anaudible tone. Further, the updated content item can include a time stampindicating when the content item was last updated.

Content items may be updated in various ways. Email accounts mayinteract with an email server, web feeds may interact with a web serveron the internet, etc., in order to download the latest information. Insome embodiments, the content item can be updated by retrieving datafrom an associated source via a network, such as the network of FIG. 2,and storing the retrieved data in memory devices, such as volatilememory 40 or non-volatile memory 42, of mobile terminal 10. Further,updating a content item may also involve the utilization of anotherapplication, or interface, such as an RSS feed application, a plug-in, awidget or the like. In this regard, the retrieved data can be retrievedvia the interface and stored directly on the mobile terminal and noformatting or other conditioning of the data need occur. However, insome embodiments, updates to content items may include conditioning databefore storing the data on a mobile terminal. Data may be conditioned invarious manners, and the conditioning may be performed by contentupdater 36, controller 20, or other means. Data used in updating acontent item may also be conditioned by a network entity, such ascomputing system 52 or BS 44 prior to receipt by a mobile terminal.

In this regard, for example, a content item such as an email account maybe updated by conditioning the data associated with the email accountsuch that only the headers of received emails are received by the mobileterminal during an update. If a user desires to read the email, the bodyof the email or a portion of the body of the email may be retrieved atthe request of a user.

Further, some data used to update a content item may be conditioned suchthat the data can easily be viewed on a display of a mobile terminal. Inthis regard, for example, images on a web page to be updated may beremoved to facilitate easier reading of text associated with the webpage.

Content items may also be updated by generating previews associated withthe content item. Previews may be generated by content updater 36,controller 20, computing system 52, BS 44, or other means. A preview canbe an indication of data retrieved from a source associated with acontent item. In some embodiments, a preview can include raw image dataorganized as an image file and generated from data retrieved from asource of a content item. A preview may be stored on a mobile terminalas a bitmap or other image format. Metadata associated with the contentitem may also be included in a preview. A preview may also includeassociated metadata where the metadata may be links to various relatedcontent items that may be retrieved by interacting with the links.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary preview 710 of a weather content itemaccording to various embodiments of the present invention. The preview710 can be viewed on a display 700. The preview 710 can include timeupdate indicator 720 that can provide information regarding when thepreview was generated. Applications used to view preview 710 can alsoinclude a scrolling indicator 720 that can be indicate where in a seriesof previews the currently viewed preview is located. FIG. 8 also depictsan exemplary preview 810. Preview 810 can be email client preview.Preview 810 can be viewed on a display 800. Preview 810 can also includea link 820 that can be implemented using metadata associated with thepreview 810. Link 820 can be used to retrieve additional content itemsrelated to preview 810, such as, for example, the body of an email.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a preview module 400 for generating andutilizing previews according to various embodiments of the presentinvention. Preview module 400 may be any means, device or circuitryembodied in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware andsoftware that is capable of generating and/or utilizing previews on themobile terminal 10. Preview module 400, or portions of preview module400, may be implemented in content updater 36, controller 20, computingsystem 52, BS 44 or other means. In various embodiments, preview module400 can include a software application and an associated data structurethat are stored in memory and can be executed by content updater 36,controller 20, computing system 52, BS 44 or combinations thereof.Preview module 400 can include a content retriever server 410, a contentretriever plug-in application programming interface (API) 420, previewdatabase 470, preview output client 480 and preview client output API490. Other than preview output client 480, the remaining elements ofpreview module 400 can operate in the background and a user of a mobileterminal may be unaware of their operation.

Content retriever server 410 can include a software application thatoperates to retrieve a content item from various sources and conditionsthe content item into a preview. Content retriever server 410 andcontent retriever plug-in API can reside and operate on content updater36 or controller 20 of mobile terminal 10, or computing system 52 or BS44 or the communications system of FIG. 2.

Content retriever server 410 can receive a request to update a contentitem where the request includes an indication of an interface that maybe used to retrieve the content item. Upon receipt of the request,content retriever server 410 can interface with content retrieverplug-in API 420 to facilitate communication with various plug-ins.Content retriever plug-in API 420 can permit content retriever server410 to seamlessly interact with plug-ins 430, 440 and 450 to retrievedata through the plug-ins to generate a preview. Content retrieverplug-in API 420 can extend the ability of content retriever server 410to generate previews with respect to any type of plug-in. Plug-in X 430,plug-in Y 440 and plug-in Z 450 can be any software application orinterface that can connect to a network to retrieve data such as, butnot limited to, to a browser, an RSS feed, a widget, web feedapplication or the like. As such, content retriever server 410 canimplement plug-ins 430, 440 and/or 450 via content retriever plug-in API420 to retrieve a content item without implementing a user interfacethat may be associated with a plug-in. Plug-ins 430, 440 and 450 can bein communication with network 460, where network 460 can be any type ofnetwork, such as the network of FIG. 2 or the Internet to retrieve acontent item.

Upon retrieval of a content item, content retriever server 410 cancondition the data associated with the content item into a preview thatmay be viewed as an image on a mobile terminal and interacted with viametadata. In some embodiments, content retriever server 410 may notrender the retrieved content item to a display. Instead, contentretriever server 410 can store the preview in preview database 470.Preview database 470 may reside on a mobile terminal, such as mobileterminal 10 and more particularly, preview database may be located in amemory device, such as volatile memory 40 or non-volatile memory 42 ofmobile terminal 10.

Preview output client 480 can operate to retrieve a preview from previewdatabase 470, provide for displaying the preview and allow forinteraction with the preview. Preview out client 470 can also providefor scrolling or iteratively viewing previews with the assistance of ascrolling indicator. Preview output client 480 can reside on controller20 of mobile terminal 10. Preview output client 480 can provide for therendering of a preview on a display, such as display 28. Preview outputclient 480 can also provide for interaction with the preview, such aszooming of the preview and/or interaction with the metadata associatedwith the preview. Preview output client 480 can additionally launchapplications associated with a preview. For example, via the preview anapplication, such as a browser, web feed, or the like, may be launchedthat may retrieve the actual content item. Via preview output client480, a user may implement the retrieval of content items related to thepreview. For example, a preview may include metadata that can be a linkembedded in the image. A user may select the link causing a content itemrelated to the link to be retrieved by the mobile terminal. Metadata mayalso include any type of information associated with a preview, such asinformation regarding, links, time stamps, and data that can be used tolaunch applications.

In order to retrieve a content item related to a preview, preview outputclient 410 can request the related content item via preview outputclient API 490. Preview output client API 490 may reside on controller20 or content updater 36. Via preview output client API 490, previewoutput client 480 can interact with content retriever server 410. Arequest for a related content item can be received by content retrieverserver 410 from content output client 480. Content retriever server 410can then retrieve the related content item via content retriever plug-in420 and plug-ins 430, 440 and/or 450. Content retriever server 410 canthen provide the related content item to preview output client 480directly, generate a preview of the related content item and provide thepreview directly via preview output client 480, or generate a preview ofthe additional content and store the preview in preview database 470 forretrieval by preview output client 480.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of generating and utilizing a previewaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Theoperations of the exemplary method of FIG. 5 may be implemented incontroller 20, content updater 36, computing system 52, BS 44, othermeans or combinations thereof.

At 500, an interface used to retrieve a content item can be determined.The interface can be a plug-in or other application used to retrievedata, such as plug-ins 430, 440 or 450. The interface can be determinedfrom data that may be included with a content item that indicates aninterface or application that can be used to retrieve the content item.At 510, a content item can be retrieved via the interface. In thisregard, a content retriever server 410 and a content retriever plug-inAPI 420 can interact with the interface to retrieve the content item. At520, a preview of the content item can generated. A preview can begenerated by a content retriever server 410. At 530, the preview can bestored in a preview database. Content retriever server 410 can store thepreview in preview database 470. At 540, the preview can be retrievedfrom the preview database. A preview output client 480 can retrieve thepreview from the preview database 470. At 550, the preview can beoutput. Preview output client 480 can output the preview via an outputdevice, such as display 28. At 560, the preview can be utilized to linkto a related content item. Preview output client 480 can provide forinteractions with the preview to link to, and retrieve, related contentthrough the use of metadata associated with the preview.

According to one aspect of the present invention, controller 20, contentupdater 36, computing system 52 or BS 44, which implement exemplaryembodiments of the present invention, generally operate under control ofcomputer-readable program code portions that may be stored on acomputer-readable storage medium to form a computer program product. Thecomputer program product for performing the methods of exemplaryembodiments of the present invention includes a computer-readablestorage medium and computer-readable program code portions, such as aseries of computer instructions, embodied in the computer-readablestorage medium.

In this regard, FIGS. 3 and 5 are flowcharts of methods, and programproducts according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Itwill be understood that each block or step of the flowcharts, andcombinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can be implemented by computerprogram instructions. These computer program instructions may be loadedonto a computer or other programmable apparatus, such as controller 20,content updater 36, computing system 52 or BS 44 to produce a machine,such that the instructions which execute on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus create means for implementing the functionsspecified in the flowchart block(s) or step(s). These computer programinstructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that candirect a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in aparticular manner, such that the instructions stored in thecomputer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture includinginstruction means which implement the function specified in theflowchart block(s) or step(s). The computer program instructions mayalso be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process suchthat the instructions which execute on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functionsspecified in the flowchart block(s) or step(s).

Accordingly, blocks or steps of the flowchart support combinations ofmeans for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps forperforming the specified functions and program instruction means forperforming the specified functions. It will also be understood that eachblock or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks or steps inthe flowchart, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedcomputer systems which perform the specified functions or steps, orcombinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the embodiments of the present invention are not tobe limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modificationsand other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope ofthe appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, theyare used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: determining, with aprocessor, that a current context of a first content item is active,while a current context of a second content item is inactive, thecurrent context of the first content item being based on one or morecriteria; identifying an occurrence of a triggering event; and causingthe first content item to be updated in response to the triggering eventand the current context of the first content item being active, and notcausing updating the second content item in response to the triggeringevent in an instance in which the current context of the second contentitem is inactive.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining thecurrent context of the first content item includes determining thecurrent context of the first content item, the current context of thecontent item being based upon a current time and one or more scheduledevents.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the currentcontext of the first content item includes determining the currentcontext of the first content item based upon a current battery level. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the occurrence of thetriggering event further includes determining that a timer associatedwith the first content item has become exhausted.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein identifying the occurrence of the triggering event includesidentifying an upcoming alarm having an associated duration whichdefines a timing of the triggering event.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein identifying the occurrence of the triggering event includesidentifying that the current context of the first content item haschanged to active.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the firstcontent item to be updated further includes causing the first contentitem to be retrieved and generating a conditioned form of the firstcontent item.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating theconditioned form of the first content item comprises generating apreview of the first content item.
 9. An apparatus comprising at leastone processor and at least one memory including computer program code,the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to,with the at least one processor, direct the apparatus at least to:determine that a current context of a first content item is active,while a current context of a second content item is inactive, thecurrent context of the first content item being based on one or morecriteria; identify an occurrence of a triggering event; and cause thefirst content item to be updated in response to the triggering event andthe current context of the first content item being active, and notcausing the second content item to be updated in response to thetriggering event in an instance in which the current context of thesecond content item is inactive.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, whereinthe apparatus directed to determine the current context of the firstcontent item includes being directed to determine the current context ofthe first content item, the current context of the content item beingbased upon a current time and one or more scheduled events.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus directed to determine acurrent context of the content item includes being directed to determinethe current context of the first content item based upon a currentbattery level.
 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatusdirected to identify the occurrence of the triggering event includesbeing directed to determine that a timer associated with the firstcontent item has become exhausted.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9, whereinthe apparatus being directed to identify the occurrence of thetriggering event includes being directed to identify an upcoming alarmhaving an associated duration which defines a timing of the triggeringevent.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor apparatusbeing directed to identify the occurrence of the triggering eventincludes being directed to identify that the current context of thefirst content item has changed to active.
 15. The apparatus of claim 9,wherein the apparatus being directed to cause the first content item tobe updated further includes being directed to cause the first contentitem to be retrieved and generate a conditioned form of the firstcontent item.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus beingdirected to generate the conditioned form of the first content itemincludes being directed to generate a preview of the content item.
 17. Acomputer program product comprising at least one non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program codeportions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portionsbeing configured to, when executed, direct an apparatus to: determinethat a current context of a first content item is active, while acurrent context of a second content item is inactive, the currentcontext of the first content item being based on one or more criteria;identify an occurrence of a triggering event; and cause the firstcontent item to be updated in response to the triggering event and thecurrent context of the first content item being active, and not causingthe second content item to be updated in response to the triggeringevent in an instance in which the current context of the second contentitem is inactive.
 18. The computer program product of claim 17, whereinthe code portions configured to direct the apparatus to determine thecurrent context of the first content item includes being configured todirect the apparatus to determine the current context of the firstcontent item, the current context of the first content item being basedupon a current time and one or more scheduled events.
 19. The computerprogram product of claim 17, wherein the first program code portionsbeing-configured to direct the apparatus to determine the currentcontext of the first content item includes being configured to directthe apparatus to determine the current context of the first content itembased upon a current battery level.
 20. The computer program product ofclaim 17, wherein the code portions configured to direct the apparatusto identify the occurrence of the triggering event includes beingconfigured to direct the apparatus to determine that a timer associatedwith the first content item has become exhausted.
 21. The computerprogram product of claim 17, wherein the code portions configured todirect the apparatus to identify the occurrence of the triggering eventincludes, being configured to direct the apparatus to identify anupcoming alarm having an associated duration which defines a timing ofthe triggering event.
 22. The computer program product of claim 17,wherein the code portions being configured to direct the apparatus toidentify the occurrence of the triggering event includes beingconfigured to direct the apparatus to identify that the current contextof the first content item has changed to active.
 23. The computerprogram product of claim 17, wherein the code portions configured todirect the apparatus to cause the first content item to be updatedfurther includes being configured to direct the apparatus to cause thecontent item to be retrieved and generate a conditioned form of thefirst content item.
 24. The computer program product of claim 23,wherein the code portions being configured to direct the apparatus togenerate the conditioned form of the first content item comprisesgenerating a preview of the first content item.